This invention generally relates to antennas, and more particularly concerns, microwave radar antennas, and even more particularly concerns a two dimensional array of linear thin walled extruded waveguides with mounting flanges on their bottom narrow edge wall, arranged to function as a microwave radar antenna.
In the past, avionics engineers have been given the task of designing microwave radar antennas for aircraft weather radars. These antennas need to meet strict electrical performance criteria while being lightweight and mechanically durable and rigid. Designers have attempted to reduce weight by using thinner walled waveguides, but often at the expense of electrical performance and the precision; mechanical placement of the slots within the waveguide, the waveguide to waveguide registration to the ground plane, and the registration of the linear alloy waveguides on the ground plane and the feed manifold attached to the back of the ground plane.
Consequently, there exists a need for improvement in radar antennas.